Something New
by ComicKid99
Summary: Sam Evans is the music teacher and director of New Directions, but a reunion with a friend from years ago brings something new and could make him so much more. Samchel!
1. Part One

**Something New**

Sam walked down the halls of McKinley feeling sweat on his brow. It wasn't every day he was called into Principal Sylvester's office. Well, not as often as when he was a student there. Now, he was McKinley's music teacher, taking a degree in teaching after a brief stint of male modelling to honour his old teacher Will Schuester and his late friend Finn Hudson.

He had barely been teaching at the school for a year and while he found it difficult, he loved teaching Glee club once Will gave it to him to run as he finally saw the passion in his students' eyes. Most of his music class were also in Glee club, and that made him happy. He hadn't done anything wrong that he could recall, so he was nervous about what Sue wanted. He was now 26 yet she still terrified him due to her evil nature and her ability to constantly look like she hasn't aged a day no matter how much time passes.

He tentatively walked into the office and took a seat in front of Sue.

"Trouty Mouth, I have some good news for your music classes and Glee club. Hurrah." She said sarcastically. Sam rolled his eyes.

"Last time you said that we got loaded onto a coach and taken to an abandoned warehouse where we were stranded for six hours because you paid the driver to drive off as soon as the last person got off." Sam said.

"Well this time I'm serious; I've arranged a visitor for you. You remember Rachel Berry, that annoying Jewish girl who made it big on Broadway?" Sue asked.

"Rachel? Of course I remember her! Wow, it's been years since I've seen her; that's great!"

"She's offered to visit and give talks to those poor kids who would probably prefer to gauge their own eyes out with a ruler than sit through an hour of her talking." Sue commented.

"On the contrary, she'll be so inspiring to these kids. I know it." Sam said. Sue looked at him in shock.

"...'On the contrary'? I'm sorry Mr Holmes, but when you were a student here I'm sure your vocabulary on consisted of the words 'dumb' and 'blonde' with the occasional 'I love you' to every girl you ever dated. Anyway, she should be here any time now." Sue snapped.

"What? Couldn't you have told me earlier so I could prepare?"

"What would be fun about that?" Sue asked.

...

Sam stood in front of an excitable Glee club.

"Mr Schuester told us all about her before you took over, Mr Evans! She was in the revival of 'Funny Girl' on Broadway and she became a star!" One bright girl said.

"She was, Bonnie, that's right. I was in this very Glee club with her for a couple of years and we've been friends since. It'll be great to see her again." Sam said happily.

"Glad to hear it, Sam." A familiar voice said. Everyone turned to the door of the choir room where a radiant Rachel Berry stood with a big smile. Sam did a double take as he saw her. Sam had always seen Rachel as a kind, generous girl and a great friend. In the years they'd not seen each other, there must have been some big changes; Sam couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was blown away.

_Rachel Berry looks hot. REALLY hot._

"Sam?" Rachel asked. Sam snapped back to reality.

_Cool, Sam, cool._

"Sorry...it's, uh...it's great to see you." Sam said. Rachel smiled and hugged him tightly.

_She even smells awesome. What's going on here?_

"Okay, um...guys, this is Rachel Berry, ex McKinley student and Broadway star..."

...

Sam had invited Rachel to his house to stay the night after her visit, demanding she didn't waste money on a hotel room she didn't need. They walked through the door and Rachel's jaw dropped.

"WOW! This place is amazing! How can you afford this?" Rachel asked.

"I still have money from my modelling days." Sam replied.

"Oh, yes. Of course. I couldn't believe you actually got tired of taking your clothes off." Rachel teased with a grin Sam found adorable. He playfully hit her with his laptop case as they walked in the living room.

"Funny." Sam said with a smirk.

"So, what's it like having Coach Sylvester as a boss?" Rachel asked.

"Scary as ever. I've got some food I can put together; I learnt a bit when I lived alone in LA. You don't eat meat, right?" Sam asked.

"No. Thank you, Sam. I'm impressed; I like a guy who can cook." Rachel said and sat on the sofa.

"Speaking of that...are you seeing anyone or...?" Sam asked.

"I've had a few dates, but..."

"-Finn."

"Yeah. I think about him every day." Rachel admitted with teary eyes.

"Me too." Sam said.

"What about you? Surely a male model turned music teacher is very desirable?" Rachel wondered. Sam shook his head.

"If only. Me and Mercedes tried again for a while but it didn't work out. I've just never been lucky in that department. I want to find the right girl, you know, and settle down." Sam admitted.

"And me. Look at us, growing up." Rachel said.

"...I know it must be hard for you to move on from Finn, but he would want you to be happy." Sam said.

"I know." Rachel smiled and squeezed Sam's hand. He stood up as he felt his heart starting to beat fast.

"Right then, food!" Sam exclaimed and walked into the kitchen.

...

"Are we really so bored that we're gonna play 'truth or dare'?" Sam laughed later that night.

"Yes! Come on Samuel, it'll be fun!" Rachel said.

"I don't like it when people call me Samuel."

"I know. I'll stop if you play." Rachel smiled.

"Fine! But you go first."

"Okay...truth." Rachel said.

"Uh...most embarrassing moment?"

"Easy; my NYADA audition. That was horrendous. Your turn!" Rachel said.

"Truth."

"Um...out of 10, rate yourself on your looks." Rachel smiled.

"What? I...that's too difficult."

"Sam! Come on! That's the game! Okay, if you do then I will."

"Okay. So, uh...well my trouty mouth deducts points..."

"...I like your mouth. I told you years ago I thought your lips were cute." Rachel said then blushed. Sam blushed too.

"Um...well, I like my abs and I maintain them, so I guess I'll go for...7." Sam said.

"Is that it? Sam, you need to give yourself more credit. You're a very attractive guy with a great body. I'd give you at least 9, probably 10." Rachel said.

"Oh, thanks."

Silence.

"My turn. Well, I hate my nose and my thighs...I'll go 5 and a half." Rachel said. Sam stared at her in shock.

"What?"

Sam grabbed Rachel's hand and guided her to a mirror on the wall.

"Look at you, Rachel. You're beautiful and sexy and awesome. I'd give you at least a 9 too." Sam said. Rachel smiled and turned to Sam. The two stared at each other for a while. The tension was obvious to both of them now.

"Um...I'll go next." Sam said, staring at Rachel. She nodded as they both sat back down on the floor.

"Dare." Sam said. Rachel looked at him and then at his lips.

"...Kiss me." Rachel said.

"What?"

"Kiss me, Sam. That's the dare."

"Look, Rachel, we don't need to. You don't have to-"

"Sam, I w_ant _you to kiss me."

Sam didn't know what to do as he stared at the beautiful woman in front of him. He looked at her lips and of course he wanted to kiss her and he was _dying_ imaging how she tasted but there was the pressure of it and thoughts of Finn filled his head. However, he thought back to what he'd told Rachel earlier.

"_...I know it must be hard for you to move on from Finn, but he would want you to be happy."_

In that moment, he could make Rachel happy. After all, what would a kiss do? It was a dare; it didn't mean anything at all. It might not even be a good kiss.

Sam and Rachel's eyes locked as they leaned forward, their hearts beating faster the closer they got. Sam nearly hesitated as Rachel stopped, allowing him to close the gap between them if he wanted to.

And he wanted to. So he did.

As his lips gently touched hers, the two old friends knew in that moment that things were gonna change one way or another. It felt _amazing_ and..._right_. In that moment, everything made sense for the two of them, leaving them wondering why they hadn't done this from the moment they met again earlier in the day. The two were on their hands and knees on the comfortable floor and slowly rose off of their hands, their lips never breaking contact. Sam gently placed one hand on Rachel's cheek, wiping the hair away from her eyes while she almost naturally and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. After what felt like a blissful eternity their lips parted and they moved their heads back only a few inches, otherwise frozen in place while their eyes looked deep into each other's.

"...Good dare." Sam eventually whispered.

"Thanks." Rachel replied. They quickly got up and Sam walked into the kitchen.

"Drink?" He asked in a fluster.

"Yep." Rachel said quickly. She couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and how incredible it was. In the kitchen, Sam thought the exact same.

...

Rachel tucked herself into the bed in the spare room, having put on a nightdress. Sam tentatively opened the door and looked in.

"Settled?" He asked.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll probably be off home pretty early tomorrow, so I won't wake you." Rachel said.

"No, wake me up. I won't mind. I wanna say goodbye." Sam said and smiled. Rachel smiled back. They stared in silence for a moment.

"...Well, uh, goodnight Rachel." Sam said gently.

"Goodnight Sam." Rachel said, maintaining eye contact with her friend. He smiled again and closed the door before walking to his room, full of confusion over their kiss earlier. They hadn't mentioned it for the rest of the night yet it was the only thing on both of their minds.

Sam took of his clothes until he was just in his boxers and crept into bed and switched off the light on the table next to him. He couldn't get Rachel out of his head.

The pair spent two and a half hours getting no sleep and staring at the ceiling before Rachel finally decided to get up and knock on the door of Sam's room.

...

"Come in." Sam whispered as Rachel tentatively opened the door and looked at Sam. He sat up in his bed and Rachel tried not to think too much about how muscly and toned he was.

"What is it?" Sam asked, genuinely concerned. Rachel, completely seriously, sat next to Sam on his bed.

"I think we both know." She said calmly. The look on Sam's face showed he agreed with her.

"Look, Rachel-"

Rachel put a hand on Sam's bare chest to stop his talking.

"...Don't say anything." Rachel whispered. After summoning up some courage she leant in and kissed him gently, and smiled into the kiss as she felt him kiss back. He put a hand on her head as they both fell into the bed as Rachel pulled the covers over her. Rachel pulled down Sam's boxers as he helped her slide her nightdress off. Sam rolled on top of Rachel as they linked hands and kissed again, now much more passionately. Rachel wrapped her arms around Sam's back and pulled him closer as the two smiled at each other.

...

An hour later, Rachel and Sam were lying in bed with smiles on their faces that couldn't be wiped off. Rachel was resting her head on Sam's bare, chiselled chest while he had his arms delicately wrapped around her.

"Well, this is new." Rachel said.

"...Wow." Sam said. Rachel laughed.

"That's about the millionth time you've said that."

"I know, but that was...wow." Sam said.

"I know. It really was." Rachel said and kissed Sam again.

"This morning I didn't even know you were coming and now...here we are." Sam commented, kissing Rachel's head.

"Well, I hope it was a nice surprise."

"It was, and so was that because that was...wow."

Rachel laughed at Sam again, enjoying the feeling of his warm chest. She felt as if she could stay there forever.

"...This has been a perfect day. Thank you. It's a shame I have to go home tomorrow." Rachel said. Sam looked at her sadly for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"Then stay."

Rachel sat up, taking Sam with her.

"What?" She asked.

"Stay for a bit, maybe a week or so, if you've got nothing on. The Glee kids would love to have you around for longer, and so would I, especially after..." Sam began.

"...Wow." Rachel finished cheekily. He smiled at her.

"Yeah."

"...You'd really be okay with that?" Rachel asked.

"More than okay. Stay. Please." Sam said and leaned closer to her.

"I dare you." He whispered in her ear. She looked at him intently.

"You are full of surprises, Sam Evans."

Rachel pushed Sam back down onto the bed and they started making out while Sam rolled back on top of Rachel.

It was gonna be a hell of a week.


	2. Part Two

**Something New: Part 2**

The next day, the Glee club were busy chatting away when Sam walked, still unable to take the smile off of his face.

"Okay guys, let's settle down! This week is gonna be even greater than we all thought, as Miss Rachel Berry has decided to stay for the rest of the week!" Sam exclaimed as Rachel walked back in with a smile. Everyone cheered as Rachel smiled at Sam like a naughty schoolgirl.

"Thank you for the warm welcome, Samuel." Rachel said and Sam blushed. The kids looked at the two in silence, wondering if they had lost it.

"Anyway, as the theme for this week's lesson is 'Broadway', I think we'd all like to hear Rachel sing a song from her Broadway show, right?" Sam asked and the club all nodded and clapped happily. Rachel smiled.

"Well, we better head to the auditorium then. If I'm gonna do this, I'm doing it right." Rachel said.

...

In the staff room, Rachel and Sam were sharing a lunch Sam had packed that morning while chatting away. As the sunshine from outside hit Rachel she thought about how she was feeling the best she'd felt in years.

"I'd forgotten how incredibly talented you are." Sam said.

"Aw, that's cute." Rachel commented.

"No, really! You blew everyone away. EVERYONE! What song was that again?"

"It was 'My Man', the closing number."

"Well, it was awesome." Sam smiled.

"Thank you. So, when did you last sing in Glee club?" Rachel asked as she popped a grape in her mouth.

"Oh, I still sing from time to time, you know, to show them how it's done." Sam joked and the two laughed together. Sue walked in.

"No laughing." She snapped as she made a coffee.

"I never said how nice it was to see you again, Coach Sylvester." Rachel said.

"If only I could say the same." Sue said, grabbing her coffee and walking out. Rachel looked at Sam and the two started laughing again.

...

That night, Rachel and Sam were snuggled up in bed.

"Wow." Sam panted again.

"Yeah." Rachel said happily, resting her head on Sam's bare chest.

"...We really are good at that." Sam added. Rachel was silent. Sam looked down and saw Rachel had fallen asleep on his chest. He smiled at how beautiful and peaceful she looked. He knew their fling (or whatever it was) would probably end at the end of the week, but he didn't want to think about that now. He was lying there with the gorgeous Rachel Berry in his arms, and he couldn't be happier.

Sam eventually drifted off to sleep with the smile still on his face.

...

The next morning, Rachel woke up to the smell of toast and a cooked breakfast. She smiled as she noticed she was alone in the room, so Sam must be cooking for her downstairs. She got dressed and joined him in the kitchen. He was busy cooking away, despite the mass of food already cooked on the table, in just his boxers.

"Sexiest chef I've ever seen." Rachel teased. Sam turned to face her and chuckled.

"Sorry, it's a habit. I never get changed before breakfast." Sam explained.

"No worries, I'm definitely not complaining." Rachel flirted and kissed Sam. Sam wrapped his arms around her as the kiss deepened and turned much more passionate. They eventually broke apart and started eating the mass of delicious food Sam had prepared.

"You're an incredible cook! You should teach cooking." Rachel said.

"Are you trying to say I'm not good at teaching music?" Sam asked jokingly.

"Not at all, Mr Evans." Rachel said. Sam grinned.

"I like it when you call me Mr Evans." Sam said flirtatiously.

"Really? Well then, Mr Evans..." Rachel began suggestively, moving the last of the plates off the table.

"...Before school, why don't you teach me a lesson...on this table?" Rachel finished. Sam stared at her, almost shocked that a girl who he remembers wearing animal sweaters and the longest socks ever would say something like that.

_Did Rachel Berry just suggest we should have sex on the kitchen table?_

Needless to say, they had sex on the kitchen table.

...

Sam walked down the corridor at McKinley that day and heard Rachel's easily recognisable laugh coming from Will's office. He stood at the doorway and saw Rachel and Will laughing together. Sam smiled; he loved seeing Rachel be happy, and he admired how Will had barely aged a day from when they first met. He walked in and joined them.

"Hey." Sam said.

"Oh, hi." Rachel said, suddenly perked up and even happier. She and Sam blushed at the sight of each other and smiled as they looked down at the floor. Will looked at them in turn and smiled knowingly.

"So, how are things with Miss Pillsbury? Or Mrs Schuester? And your son?" Rachel asked, changing the conversation in an attempt to make her face appear a normal colour again.

"All as good as ever. Daniel's doing great; he's such a lovely young boy. And Emma's cut down on work to look after him, but she loves it. Her OCD is much more controlled now." Will explained.

"That's great, Mr Schue. I'm happy for you." Rachel said.

"And I'm happy for YOU, Little Miss Broadway Star!" Will exclaimed and Rachel smiled.

"I'm gonna go and see Coach Beiste quickly. See you later!" Rachel said and hugged Will.

"See you soon, Rachel." Will said softly. Rachel walked past Sam.

"Bye Sam." She said shyly.

"See you, Rachel." Sam smiled and watched her go, winking at her when she turned back. She smiled cutely and rushed off. Sam turned back and turned to Will, who was staring at him.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You haven't stopped smiling since she got here." Will commented. Sam tried to shrug it off.

"Well, you know, it's good to see her after so long." Sam said.

"Sam, I can see it in both of your eyes. You can't look at each other without blushing." Will said with a smirk. Sam admitted defeat.

"I know..."

"How long has it been?"

"Only since the night she got here. We're just, you know, having fun." Sam said.

"Is that all it is, though? It doesn't look like it to me." Will said. Sam was silent for a moment.

"I don't know. I mean, at the end of the week she's going back to New York and I'll still be here, so...I doubt it'll get serious." Sam said with a hint of sadness.

"…But you want it to get serious?" Will asked.

"...I'd forgotten what an amazing girl she was." Was all Sam could muster.

"Long distance relationships can work you know, it just takes a lot of effort. You could at least try and get a taste of what a relationship would be like while she's here." Will suggested. Sam seemed interested in Will's idea, nodded and went to leave.

"Sam? Are you the first guy she's been with since...Finn?" Will asked. Sam nodded.

"Then, make sure you treat her right." Will added on a serious note.

"I'd hate myself if I didn't." Sam said and walked out just as Rachel returned and bumped into him. They giggled and eventually quietened down.

"Hey, I was wondering...do you wanna go out for dinner tonight?" Sam asked.

"Oh, that sounds nice." Rachel said.

"Yeah, but...like a date. With me." Sam said.

"Oh." Rachel said.

Silence.

"You know, if you don't want to its fine, I just-"

"-Sam, I'd love to. Honestly." Rachel said quickly and happily. Sam's heart lifted.

"Oh, well, cool. We'll talk about it after school then." Sam said.

"Yeah. See you in Glee club." Rachel said, rubbing Sam's chest as she walked past him. She couldn't take the smile off of her face, and neither could Sam. Sam watched Rachel leave until she left his sight, where he punched the air and patted himself on the back. He turned around and awkwardly stopped at the sight of Sue.

"You're a dork." Sue said and walked on. Sam ignored her, though, as even a snotty comment from her couldn't detract him from his happy mood. He had a date with Rachel Berry, a situation he'd never expected to find himself in.

"This is new..." Sam whispered to himself.

"...And frickin' awesome."


	3. Part Three

**Something New: Part 3**

Sam was nervous.

He sat in his room, knowing Rachel was getting ready for their date and he was staring at the outfit he was going to wear lying on his bed. He had chosen skinny jeans that were slightly worn to make him look manly and a tight fitting white short-sleeved t-shirt. He wanted her to be able to see his abs through his shirt but not enough to make her realise he wanted her to notice them.

The worst part was that no matter how good he looked, Sam knew deep down Rachel would always look so much better. That was just who she was.

As he finally did get dressed, he thought about _why _he was so nervous. After all, he knew she liked him. At least, she liked him enough to sleep with him. She even made the first move, but was that simply lust? Sam knew that he liked her too, especially for her looks, but even just talking to her had been a joy for Sam over the past few days. He wasn't sure just yet if he had genuine feelings for her or their fling was simply just a fling.

"Of course you like her. You asked her out to dinner." Sam told himself as he finished getting ready and walked out of his room, where Rachel was already waiting for him in a beautiful green dress. Her hair all fell down one side of her head and the only way to describe how she looked was _radiant_. Majestic, even.

"You took your time." Rachel smiled. Sam smiled when he saw she had noticed his abs through his shirt and looked very impressed.

"Yeah, I couldn't decide what to wear. In a manly way, of course. You look beautiful. I mean, _really_ beautiful." Sam said. Rachel blushed.

"I'm already sleeping with you, Sam, you don't need to say that." Rachel laughed.

"I know, which is why you know I'm not just saying it." Sam said meaningfully. The two looked at each other with wide eyes for a long while before eventually moving out to Sam's car.

...

The two chatted for the whole car journey before reaching the restaurant Sam had picked himself. Sam opened Rachel's door for her and they walked in hand in hand.

"Wow, it's beautiful in here." Rachel said.

"Yeah, I thought we should go somewhere classier than Breadstix." Sam joked. Rachel laughed.

"Is that place still open? Wow. I have a lot of good memories from that place, though." Rachel said.

"Yeah, but the food is still crap." Sam said and Rachel laughed again as they sat at their table and ordered their food. As they waited they soon got talking again.

"So, can I ask now?" Rachel asked.

"Ask what?"

"Why you asked me out."

"Oh, right. Maybe I just wanted to treat you."

"Maybe you did, Sam, but I don't believe that's all it is."

Sam paused for a moment.

"I guess it just felt right. I didn't want whatever this is to be all sex. This isn't just a cheap fling for me, and I want to show that to you. I think you're amazing, Rachel, and I want to spend more time with you." Sam explained. Rachel smiled and took Sam's hand.

"That's what I hoped. That's why I said yes. This means something to me too, Sam. This is the first time I've wanted to be with a guy since Finn died." Rachel admitted.

"And the privilege is all mine." Sam added.

"...You're very sweet, Sam. You know, I did kinda have a little crush on you when we were in Glee club together." Rachel admitted with a red face.

"Really? No way! I had no idea! We didn't really talk much, did we? Except when I was homeless and when you and Finn got me back for Sectionals after I moved away." Sam said.

"I know. I was caught up with Finn and Puck and Jesse and you were with Quinn and Santana and Mercedes and Brittany. Have I missed anyone?" Rachel teased.

"Penny the nurse. And I made out with Tina once..." Sam added discretely as Rachel laughed.

"I'm practically the only one you didn't touch in high school!" Rachel giggled.

"Yeah, I know. I'm a man slut." Sam joked and Rachel got the giggles, which Sam found adorable.

...

After a delicious meal, the two walked out of the restaurant into the cold night air as Rachel put her arm through Sam's as they went.

"That was delicious, thank you. I had an amazing time." Rachel said contently.

"Me too." Sam smiled as they reached a bridge that looked over a small stream. Rachel smiled at the reflection of the stars in the water before looking up to see the dazzling sky for herself.

"The sky is so pretty tonight."

"Yeah." Sam agreed, unable to contain his happiness at how well the date had gone. Rachel faced the gorgeous man in front of her, who was still looking away from her. She guided his head to face hers and slowly, intimately and gently kissed him. He kissed back as the kiss deepened and the two wrapped their arms around each other. They broke apart but kept in close proximity of each other.

"Wow." Rachel whispered delightfully.

"I know." Sam whispered back and kissed her again.

"So, how about we go home and have an early night?" Rachel asked flirtatiously. Sam knew what she was talking about, of course.

"Sounds oh so very good to me." Sam said and Rachel bit her lip.

Hand in hand, the two walked back to Sam's car.

"So, tomorrow morning I'm going to see my dads and then I'll come to McKinley and meet you for lunch before Glee club. This week's going way too fast, but it's been perfect." Rachel said and kissed Sam again as she go into the car. Sam watched her the whole journey to the car and thought about her for the whole drive back.

_I don't want her to go._

It hit Sam like a ton of bricks. What he knew he shouldn't be doing, he was.

_I'm falling in love with Rachel Berry._


	4. Part Four

**Something New: Part 4**

Sam woke up the next morning and rolled over to see a note where Rachel was mere hours earlier. He rubbed his eyes, picked it up and read it.

'_Gone to my dads' house to spend a good few hours there. See you at lunch xxx'_

Sam found the fact that she even left him a note adorable, just adding to the already long list of reasons why he was falling in love with her. He wished he could just forget his feelings as he knew she'd be leaving in three days and he didn't want her to go more than anything. Dismissing his feelings for now, he got out of bed and dressed before grabbing a slice of toast and heading to McKinley, counting down the minutes until lunch so he could see Rachel again.

...

"So be sure to make sure you have your album reviews ready to hand in this time next week. Okay guys, have a good lunch. And see you in the choir room afterwards if you're in Glee club." Sam said as the bell rang signalling the end of the lesson. As students quickly left the room, Sam gathered up his things and put them into his bag.

"Hey." Rachel said, now standing at the empty doorway. Sam saw her, smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her around the corner from the door and kissing her passionately against the wall. Rachel moaned with pleasure and wrapped her arms around him. They made out for a few minutes before breaking apart.

"That was very secretive." Rachel said with a smile.

"You know McKinley; if anyone saw us everyone would know within ten minutes." Sam said.

"And what was that for anyway?" Rachel asked.

"I'm just happy to see you, that's all." Sam replied and Rachel smiled.

"You're so sweet." Rachel said and kissed Sam again.

...

Deciding to have a more private lunch together, Rachel and Sam sat in his car in the car park, watching students run around on the nearby field and courtyard.

"So how are your dads? Excited to see you?" Sam asked. Rachel nodded.

"Oh yes. I don't see them too often anymore so they savour every opportunity. They've bought a new puppy and it's the cutest little thing. They're calling it Deano." Rachel explained.

"I always wanted a puppy; I still might get one someday. I just picture me with my wife and kids and always with a puppy." Sam said. Rachel smiled at him.

"I want a puppy too. I get lonely in my apartment sometimes. It's weird living alone in New York now; I lived there with Kurt, Blaine and Santana for a time, then I moved to LA and then I came back and by that time Kurt and Blaine had their own place and so did Santana and Brittany. I see them often though, which is nice." Rachel explained.

"Yeah, Kurt and Blaine come and visit me pretty often." Sam said. Rachel looked at him.

"Why didn't we ever stay in touch?" Rachel asked.

"I dunno. I guess we didn't know each other that well; we weren't the closest of friends." Sam replied.

"True. Maybe that's why this thing between us doesn't feel weird." Rachel commented.

"Or maybe that's because this is just natural. Like destiny. Actually, no, that's corny and cheesy. Forget I said 'destiny'." Sam said and went bright red. Rachel laughed and kissed him.

"You are so cute." Rachel said and kissed Sam's neck before ripping off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, looking at him seductively.

"Seriously? In my car?" Sam asked with a grin.

"Problem?"

"No way."

...

Sam and Rachel cuddled up at the back of the car in just their underwear.

"Yeah, I'm definitely gonna need to clean the car." Sam said and Rachel laughed as she rubbed her finger up and down his muscly chest.

"I hope we didn't rock the car too much; someone might've seen. Thinking about it, we probably shouldn't have had sex on the grounds of the school where we both used to go to and where you now work." Rachel said and giggled. Sam laughed with her and kissed the top of her head.

"Good point. Can't say I regret it, though." Sam said.

"Neither can I." Rachel replied. Sam sat up from the back seat and started putting his trousers and shirt back on.

"...I told my dads about us." Rachel said bluntly. Sam looked at her in shock.

"Really? What did they say?"

"That it was healthy for me to start moving on and finding someone new. They said you were a great guy from what they knew about you." Rachel explained.

"So...this is moving on? What we're doing? I figured it was a meaningless fling to you, but I wanted to show you that wasn't the case for me hence the date." Sam said.

"The first time we slept together I came into your room to have sex because I fancied you, I'll admit. I thought this would be meaningless and a bit of fun. It certainly is fun, but I love just spending time with you too. So, yeah, this is helping me move on. This does mean something to me." Rachel said. Sam smiled.

"Good. I'm glad that I'm not wasting my time being with you." Sam said.

"You're not. And when I go home in a few days I hope we say in contact. Who knows? If you play your cards right I may call you for the odd hook up." Rachel said flirtatiously.

"Yes, do that. Quite often." Sam said and kissed Rachel passionately. They broke apart and Rachel looked away.

"What is it?" Sam asked, concerned.

"It's just, it's weird. I'm thinking about settling down and moving on with my life and it's hard to picture being with someone and having a boyfriend while I'm here with you." Rachel admitted.

"Maybe that's telling you something." Sam said, putting his heart on the line. Rachel looked at him.

"Sam, don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Make this complicated. You know that we are doing this for a week and then I'm going home, and I might meet a guy who I could end up marrying. You could meet a girl next week who's the love of your life and you'll forget about this in seconds." Rachel said.

"I won't forget this in a hurry." Sam said. Rachel sat up and starting rubbing her hand through Sam's hair.

"Look, I'm really enjoying being with you, don't get me wrong, because this is amazing. YOU are amazing and we are amazing. But I don't want this to affect us in the long term. I want us to still be friends after this and not have any regrets or...well, feelings. Going into this, that wasn't what I was looking for. This is helping me to start moving on with my life, so it will always mean something to me, but that's where it ends. Okay?" Rachel said.

"Okay." Sam said, hiding his disappointment.

"Good. Now then, Trouty Mouth, we have ten minutes until Glee club and I think this car can take a bit more rocking, don't you?" Rachel teased seductively.

"Yes. Yes I do." Sam said and rolled on top of Rachel, who started giggling. In the distance, several students stopped and stared at the car as it vigorously moved side to side.

"Oh my god, is that car a Transformer?" An innocent child wondered.

...

That night, Sam and Rachel were getting very drunk.

"This is a terrible idea, I still have to teach tomorrow!" Sam said.

"Well, okay. One more!" Rachel said, pouring another glass of wine and practically forcing it down Sam's neck.

"You, Rachel Berry, are making me a very irresponsible teacher." Sam said with a smile.

"And you love it." Rachel whispered as she pulled Sam's shirt off his chest and they started making out on the sofa as they continued undressing each other until they were in their underwear. Their make out turned more passionate and intense by the second as the two started moaning with pleasure. Sam lifted Rachel up in his arms and run upstairs, placing her on the bed and climbing under the covers with her. Their make out continued in the bed and Rachel squealed as Sam started to thrust. Their fourth night together was going very well indeed.

...

What didn't go so well was when Sam said 'I love you' in the middle of sex.


	5. Part Five

**Something New: Part 5**

Naturally, Rachel had left the house pretty quickly following Sam's declaration, leaving Sam to sit in silence for the rest of the night as he desperately tried calling and texting Rachel.

...

"_Rachel, it's me again. Look, you need to answer me at some point; this is like the twentieth message I've left you. I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said it and it was a stupid thing to do. Please just call me; we need to talk about this. I don't want this to be how it ends."_

Sam finished recording another message for Rachel's answerphone knowing she'd probably delete it without even listening. He put his head in his hands and felt like crying.

...

In Glee club the following day, Sam had been fairly quiet in his lessons and made his students read from textbooks in silence at every opportunity. He sat at a table in the teacher's lounge at lunch and stared at the food he knew he was capable of eating at that moment. Will walked in, saw Sam and sat at the seat next to him.

"Hey." Will said.

"Hey." Sam replied glumly.

"I've got some good news." Will said. Sam lifted his head to look at Will.

"...Emma's pregnant." Will said with a huge smile on his face. Sam smiled for the first time in hours.

"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Sam exclaimed, hugging Will excitedly.

"Baby number two!" Will said happily. The two excited men settled down and they soon grew silent again.

"That really is awesome." Sam said to break the silence.

"And one more thing..." Will began.

"What?"

"...Rachel came to our place late last night." Will said sternly. Sam's heart sunk as he banged his forehead against the table.

"She told you?" Sam asked, his voice muffled from the hard surface he was laying on.

"Yeah. I kinda have to ask...what the hell were you thinking?" Will questioned. Sam sat back up.

"I wasn't, that's the problem! I was just there with this incredible, gorgeous woman and I just blurted it out. I didn't realise I was saying it until I had and she went all crazy and left. She's gone back to New York, hasn't she? That is SO not how I wanted things to end between us. I'm so stupid; people have been saying I'm so much wiser but I haven't grown up at all." Sam admitted sadly, expecting Will to tell him the worst.

"No, she's still at our place. Look Sam, I need to ask this and you need to answer honestly...did you mean it? What you said?" Will asked. The way Sam looked at Will gave him the answer. Will sighed.

"Wow. And I still thought this was just a fling. You could've picked a better time to tell her." Will said.

"I know. I've blown it. I mean, a week ago I hadn't spoken to her in so long and I didn't even know she was coming and in four days of her being here...look what she's done to me. I've never felt so strongly for a girl so quickly before." Sam admitted.

"...Maybe you should talk to her properly about this and tell her in a better way. She might feel the same if you feel something so strongly this quickly." Will said encouragingly.

"She won't even answer my calls; it's over. There's no way she feels the same otherwise she wouldn't have left so quickly. Maybe that's a sign that I was kidding myself. We shouldn't have started this in the first place. I'm not Finn, after all. He was the one for her." Sam sad, growing teary.

"You are your own person, Sam, and you need to stop trying to give her what Finn gave her. Yes, she loved him and always will, but she can learn to love you too. You promised me you won't hurt her and you're breaking that promise if you don't at least talk to her." Will said and stood up, patting Sam on the back and leaving. Sam saw Will's keys on the table.

"Hey, you left your keys."

"No I didn't."

...

Sam tentatively opened the door and walked in Will and Emma's house. He heard footsteps coming closer to him.

"I didn't expect you back so early, it's still school time and I thought that you were gonna-"

Rachel stopped talking at the sight of Sam. There was a long period of silence.

"You should have classes." Rachel eventually said, not able to look Sam in the eye.

"Will's covering for me." Sam said. Rachel nodded understandingly before moving away and sitting on the couch. Sam sat next to her and took her hand, which she pushed away.

"Come on, Rachel. Please." Sam said. Rachel faced him.

"This was supposed to be a fun week, Sam. And the past four days have been amazing, INCREDIBLE, and now none of it matters because all of it will be defined by what you said and how I reacted. The amazing date, the cuddling up at night, the feeling of joy knowing I'm healing and moving on...I'm not gonna think of all of those incredible things you've given me. No, I'll remember this and something I regret because it ended with you saying that." Rachel said.

"I know, and I shouldn't have said it." Sam said.

"And the worst part? The fact that you said that to try and make me stay longer, didn't you? We had a deal and you LIED to drag it out, but that's when things go wrong. End on a high note, that sort of thing, but now a lie has ruined that." Rachel snapped. Sam was silent for a while.

"...I wasn't lying." Sam choked. Rachel looked at Sam in shock as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"...W-What?" Rachel eventually mustered.

"...I wouldn't lie to you." Sam whispered.

"...Oh, Sam..."

Rachel took Sam's hands but he pushed her away and stood up.

"You're right, I have ruined this and I did want you to stay longer, but I didn't lie. I've forced us to remember this for one bad thing, but that's enough to snuff out all the amazing things. I've never fallen for someone so quickly. But you're Finn's girl and always will be and that's fine, but it just sucks that I will NEVER, Rachel, NEVER be good enough for you. And I know you don't feel the way I do because you ran out." Sam said painfully. Rachel was crying by this point and stood up to face Sam.

"Don't you dare put yourself down like that, Sam Evans! OF COURSE you're good enough for me, but I am damaged, Sam. Finn died and some of me died with him and ever since that day I thought I'd never fill that hole in my life again. But then I came back here and saw you again and from our first kiss I felt whole for the first time in years! So don't you dare think that you're not good enough because you are an amazing man!" Rachel shouted, wiping her now red face. Sam walked up to her and gently wiped her tears with his hands, moving her hair out of her eyes.

"Rachel..."

"And the only reason I ran out was because I was scared to admit that I was beginning to feel the same way. I didn't want to go either, Sam, but when you said THAT...it made it real. It made me realise that I was going home in a few days. And I love it there, Sam, I LOVE New York, but I was starting to love you too. But like I said, I'm damaged. And look at how quickly this how gone downhill." Rachel said sadly. Sam shed another tear as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"I got you something. I thought you'd need it, and now I know you do." Sam said sadly. Rachel took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the slip of paper inside.

"A one way ticket to New York." Rachel said and Sam nodded.

"You need your home Rachel, but you don't need me." Sam said, breaking his own heart.

"Sam, this ticket is for tonight." Rachel said.

"I know." Sam replied.

Silence.

"We've admitted how we feel and look at us, arguing and crying. I think that says it all, right?" Sam said and Rachel reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah. That says it all. I'm going home."

...

Sam helped Rachel lift her case onto the train and she got back off and stood next to him on the platform.

"...This wasn't how the story was supposed to end." Rachel said.

"I know, like 'Marley and Me' or 'The Fault In Our Stars'." Sam said and Rachel chuckled.

"...I'm gonna miss your laugh." Sam said, tearing up. Rachel began to cry and held Sam tight.

"Thank you." Rachel whispered.

"No, thank you." Sam replied as they broke apart.

"Now I know one day I will love again, even if it's not...you know..."

"...Me." Sam finished.

Silence.

"Look after yourself." Rachel said and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, you too."

"Sam, promise me something."

"What?"

"Try to remember the good things. I'll try to." Rachel said.

"...Promise." Sam choked. Rachel pulled Sam closer to her by his collar and kissed him passionately. The two wrapped their arms around each other as the kiss deepened but broke apart at the sound of the conductor's whistle.

"...I guess this is it." Sam said.

"Yeah. Sam, I do lov-"

"-Don't say it, please. It'll probably hurt too much." Sam said.

"Sam, I'll be fine; I'm a grown woman." Rachel said.

"No, it'll hurt me." Sam said.

"...Sam, find someone. Someone really special. Someone who would do you good." Rachel said as she buttoned up her coat.

"...I did." Sam said. Rachel looked at him with teary eyes.

"...It just didn't work out, I guess." Sam said. Rachel kissed him again and got on the train. She grabbed her case and looked back at Sam, mouthing the word 'bye'. Sam waved as the door of the train slid shut and Rachel disappeared from his view. Sam looked down in sadness and looked back up to see Rachel sat by a nearby window on the train. The train began to move and Rachel began sobbing as she waved, not taking her eyes off of Sam. Sam was fixated on her, too, knowing just how much he was going to miss her. As the train vanished from Sam's sight, he finally broke down into uncontrollable tears in the middle of the platform.

...

That night, both Sam and Rachel were sat back in their beds at their respective homes, unable to sleep. All they could think of was each other.

Sam's phone rang and he quickly answered it, sitting up in his bed.

"Hello?" Sam asked glumly.

"Hey. I heard. Are you okay?" Will's voice asked on the other end. Sam took his time to reply.

"...I don't think I'll ever be okay again."


	6. Part Six

**Something New: Part 6**

Sam and Rachel didn't see each other again for eight months. It would probably have been much longer had Sam not have decided to drive to the store that day. If he hadn't have stopped at the traffic light. If a drunk driver hadn't smashed right into the side of his car.

...

Sam woke up in his hospital bed and immediately felt the pain from his many cuts and bruises, mainly down his sides. He also had a cut lip from where he hit the steering wheel.

"Hey, buddy. How're you feeling?"

Sam turned to his side and saw the smiling face of Blaine Anderson greeting him.

"...I'm good. How did you find out about this?" Sam asked, sitting up.

"I'm still on your list of emergency contacts. Kurt's stuck at work but he sends you his love. Besides, it's a good excuse to visit." Blaine explained.

"Well, thanks for coming." Sam said. Blaine kept staring at him.

"What?"

"Rachel's been visiting us a lot lately." Blaine said. Sam's heart started racing.

"...And I would care, why?" Sam asked, trying to fake a disinterest.

"She never stops going on about you. How's Sam doing? Have you heard from him lately? Is he still teaching? Is he seeing anyone? I thought of was kinda creepy at first, and so did Kurt, so we called her out over it and...well..."

"...She told you, huh?" Sam finished. Blaine nodded.

"It was eight months ago, I'm over it." Sam said. Blaine chuckled.

"What now?"

"Sam, I may not see you as often as I used to but I can still see when you're lying. She's not over it, so you needn't be. Anyway, I need a drink. I'll be back in about half an hour." Blaine said, going to walk out.

"Half an hour to get a drink?" Sam questioned. Blaine smiled.

"Well, you might get other visitors to keep you company." Blaine said knowingly, waved and walked off. Sam sighed and looked around the room for a moment as another figure appeared at the door.

"Hi."

Sam looked and saw Rachel standing before him for the first time in months.

"Oh, hi." Sam said, shocked. Rachel took a seat next to him.

"How are you doing?" Rachel asked.

"I'm good. How are you?" Sam asked in return.

"Well, I'm not in hospital, so I think I'm doing better than you." Rachel said and the two laughed.

"Huh, I was right." Sam said.

"About what?"

"I have missed that laugh."

Silence.

"Wow, your lips are even bigger than usual." Rachel pointed out with a smirk.

"Now that was uncalled for." Sam said with a chuckle.

"You look like you're allergic to air." Rachel laughed. Sam laughed with her. Rachel grew serious and took Sam's hand.

"I've really missed you." Rachel said.

"I've missed you too." Sam replied.

"I've been harassing Kurt and Blaine for updates on you." Rachel admitted.

"I've been harassing Will."

"...Have you been seeing anyone else?" Rachel pondered. Sam shook his head.

"Of course not. You?"

"Of course not."

"...Rachel, I've-"

"-Shut up, Sam. I've been trying to think of a way to contact you again but I chickened out time and time again. But when I heard you were hurt I couldn't stay away. I can't stop thinking about those days we had together, Sam, and that scares me because I know that means I...well, I have feelings for you." Rachel explained.

"I still have feelings for you too." Sam admitted. The two stared into each other's eyes before their lips crashed together with a huge amount of passion. After about a minute of making out their lips parted.

"Sorry, that must've really hurt." Rachel said with a shy smile.

"Yeah, but I don't give a damn." Sam stated.

It wasn't long before they were making out again.

...

Half an hour later, Blaine returned to Sam's room and saw he and Rachel were still kissing passionately. His phone rang and he answered it, looking around so no one could see he was on his phone in a hospital.

"Hey." Blaine said.

"Hey, how's Sam?" Kurt asked from the other end.

"Fine." Blaine answered.

"What about him and Rachel? Are they talking?" Kurt asked. Blaine laughed to himself.

"Not exactly."

...

Within a few hours, Blaine had returned home and Sam was discharged from hospital. With help from Rachel he made it back to his house and the two ordered a pizza. They both sat on the floor eating it once it turned up.

"Wow. Feels like years since we played 'truth or dare' here, not eight months." Rachel said.

"I know. A lot has happened since then." Sam said.

"Yep. How's McKinley?" Rachel asked.

"Great as ever. The Glee club were gutted that you left before the end of the week, though. But still, they're fine now. Champions once again!" Sam exclaimed.

"I heard! Congratulations! It must feel good to lead a Glee club to a National Championship." Rachel stated.

"It did indeed." Sam smiled.

"...So, are we gonna talk about us making out in the hospital or not?" Rachel said, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Yeah, that was awesome." Sam said. Rachel laughed.

"That's not the kind of conversation I was picturing, actually."

"...Okay, well then...say what you wanna say." Sam suggested.

"Okay. I want to give us a go. A proper relationship, not like that one week thing. I really want to be with you Sam..." Rachel began.

"I'm sensing a 'but'." Sam said glumly.

"...BUT, I'm in New York and you're here. That's one of the reasons it ended so terribly before." Rachel explained.

"...I know, but we can work through it, Rachel." Sam said.

"But HOW do you know that?" Rachel asked.

"...Because I love you." Sam stated. Rachel stared at him.

"I love you, Rachel Berry. And now you're back here again I don't wanna see you slip away." Sam admitted. It took Rachel a while to reply.

"...I love you too, Sam." Rachel said. Sam looked at her, stunned to silence.

"...Wow." Sam whispered.

"...Wow." Rachel returned.

Silence.

The two dropped their pizza and leapt onto each other, passionately kissing as Rachel started to undo the buttons on Sam's shirt.

...

Sam and Rachel were wrapped up in bed, Rachel enjoying the feeling of Sam's bare chest for the first time in months.

"Well, this isn't so new anymore." Sam said, brushing off how much the sex had hurt his still injured body.

"No, this is, well...this is real." Rachel said with a smile.

"...I guess we really do need to talk this through now." Sam prompted.

"Yeah." Rachel said and the two sat up.

"...I never want to be far from you." Sam started.

"Same." Rachel said.

"...So, that's the choice, isn't it? Do you move here or do I move to New York?" Sam wondered.

"It's unfair on you if you move, though. You'd have to leave McKinley and your Glee club and come to a city with no job and hope to find one pretty quickly." Rachel said.

"But if you move here you'd have to leave the city you love. Plus, I know you won't admit it but you'd see coming back to Lima again after moving away after graduation would be a step backwards." Sam said.

"...We should discuss it in the morning." Rachel said bluntly.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Because I'm getting distracted by my realisation at how you're even more muscular than before." Rachel said, biting her lip. Sam couldn't resist it when she did that.

"In the morning it is." Sam said and rolled on top of a laughing Rachel and started kissing her neck as her hands rubbed his chiselled chest and huge arms. Of course what they were about to do was going to hurt him, but he couldn't care one bit. He had Rachel Berry back, and this time it was definitely love.


	7. Part Seven

**Something New: Part 7**

"Sam...Sam, wake up."

Sam opened his eyes the next morning to see Rachel's smiling face directly above him. He smiled as he saw her and she kissed him before handing him a bowl of cereal.

"I have an audition at four o' clock, so we need to decide what we're gonna do, but you have to be awake for that. So, eat up! I've picked out some clothes for you; they're on the end of the bed, and I called Will and he made sure you've been given a week off to recover from the accident." Rachel explained. Sam sat up and started eating.

"Wait, you picked out my clothes? Did...did we get married last night?" Sam joked. Rachel hit him and Sam winced.

"Sorry! Did I hit a bruise?" Rachel asked, concerned.

"You kinda did." Sam said.

"Good. Don't make fun of me again." Rachel smiled before kissing the part of Sam's arm she hit. Sam smiled at her as she went back downstairs. Sam finished his cereal, got dressed and soon joined her.

...

Sam and Rachel sat on the couch; no music, no TV...just them.

"Okay. So, do you have any idea what you want to do?" Rachel asked. Sam shrugged.

"I dunno. Of course I'd miss McKinley and Will and the Glee club but I'd give it up for you." Sam said.

"But they make you so happy." Rachel said.

"You make me happier." Sam stated. Rachel smiled and took his hand.

"I just...I don't feel comfortable letting you do that." Rachel said.

"And I don't feel comfortable asking you to come back to Lima. Maybe we could just move somewhere in between the two?" Sam suggested. Rachel laughed.

"Maybe, but that would still cause a lot of problems. If not, more than now." Rachel said.

"I guess."

"...Well, since you've got a week off...how about you come to New York with me for the week and see if you like it?" Rachel suggested. Sam's face lit up.

"That's a good idea! Maybe I could look around for work I might like and pursue it if I move there." Sam said. Rachel smiled but it quickly faded.

"What is it?"

"I still feel like I'm forcing you to come to New York. I don't want you to do this for me." Rachel said.

"Rachel, I love you, and this would be as much for me as it would be for you. New York seemed awesome when we went for Nationals all those years ago, and it would be something new and exciting. I love McKinley but I have spent so many years of my life there, whether as a student or a teacher. Maybe saying goodbye might be a good thing." Sam explained. Rachel hugged him.

"I guess we can try it. Thank you." Rachel said and kissed Sam passionately.

...

"Welcome to New York!" Rachel exclaimed as she and Sam entered her apartment. Sam looked around and was impressed by the modern design of the whole place, and he couldn't deny that the view of the city outside was nothing short of spectacular.

"Wow, I like it here." Sam said. Rachel sighed with relief.

"I'm glad! I was worried it wouldn't live up to your house." Rachel said.

"It's great!" Sam exclaimed, looking around further and investigating every nook and cranny of the apartment.

"This is HUGE. How can you afford this place?" Sam asked.

"Leftover wages from Funny Girl and two generous dads." Rachel smiled. Sam laughed.

"...Are you just pretending to like it?" Rachel asked, concerned. Sam took her hands in his.

"No! I really like it here! What happened to the annoying Jewish girl in Glee club who had to make sure everything went her way?" Sam asked.

"Gee, thank you." Rachel said sarcastically yet playfully.

"You know what I mean! I love you for being annoying and Jewish and...a girl." Sam added and Rachel laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so cynical these days. It annoys me, too. I loved the times when I was so happy but everything got in the way. There was years of bullying at school, choking at my original NYADA audition, breaking up and making up with Finn countless numbers of times, fighting with Quinn and Santana countless numbers of times, fighting Kurt and Mercedes for solos..."

"...Countless numbers of times..."

"...and when Finn died I just thought that was the direction my life was going to go in. But I got the part in Funny Girl and it was a smash and I was up high again but then there was a time when my dads broke up then got back together and all of this complicated stuff with you happened and when you sent me back here I'd never felt worse. It was a new feeling I wasn't used to and I hated it." Rachel explained, tearing up. Sam held her close.

"I promise I'll do my best to make sure you never feel like that again." Sam whispered as he kissed her hair.

"I know." Rachel whispered back.

"I understand, don't worry. My dad lost his job about a year and a half ago, you know, and everyone was scared we were going to lose everything again, even though we were in a much better situation than the first time. When life gives people so many lemons they can't make enough lemonade, they're gonna think that way. Don't let it." Sam said and Rachel kissed him.

"You are full of surprises. Where did that come from?" Rachel asked.

"I have rare moments of wisdom...very rare moments of wisdom..." Sam smiled and Rachel laughed.

"Thank you. There I am all tangled in a mess of depression and you come along with your trouty mouth and straighten me out." Rachel teased.

"Right then, I say we order pizza and watch a movie. Deal?" Sam suggested. Rachel nodded and grinned as she ran over to the phone excitedly.

...

Rachel didn't pay much attention to the movie; she was more interested in the man who had his large arms wrapped around her, holding her close in a protective yet romantic way while being fixated on whatever trash he had chosen to watch. Rachel regretted letting him choose the film but she soon found herself not caring about whether it was Die Hard 3 or 4. In that moment, she only cared about Sam Evans.

As she looked up at him as she rested on his shoulder she took all of him in and noticed all the little details she hadn't noticed in great detail before. She loved the clear passion in his eyes. She loved how his whole face smiled with his mouth uncontrollably. She loved his trouty mouth. She loved how he was clearly irritated by a rogue hair in his eye but didn't want to move it out of the way as he'd have to unwrap his arm from around her. She loved how he rested one leg over the other as he watched TV.

"The best bit's coming up; he's about to slide out of the car!" Sam said.

She definitely loved how he didn't even have to look to know she was watching him.

She smiled as she turned his head to face hers and kissed him passionately before resting her head on his chest as he gently ran his finger up and down her arm.

...

Rachel laughed as she and Sam got undressed in her bedroom.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not into those films!" She giggled.

"How can you not be? Die Hard is a very underappreciated franchise. I think every single film is good. Bruce Willis is a legend. He's _my _Barbra." Sam smiled.

"THAT is blasphemy!" Rachel squealed as she jumped on the bed and into Sam's arms. They laughed together before kissing passionately and falling into bed.

...

Rachel and Sam cuddled up in bed, smiling at each other and enjoying each other's warmth.

"You know, I think I prefer sex in New York." Rachel said.

"...I'm sorry?" Sam asked in pure disbelief.

"Well, I mean, you're amazing anyway, like, INCREDIBLE, but that was even better. Like, WOW. What about you?"

"I thought it was as awesome as ever; we're unbeatable. Are you saying being in New York makes me better in bed?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm with the guy I love in the city I love. It just feels right." Rachel commented.

"I guess.

"Or maybe it just happened to be even better than normal by chance." Rachel said.

"Rach, you make it sound like this is the first time you've enjoyed sleeping with me."

"Oh, now that is very far from the truth. Well, let's forget about that because sex with you is always amazing no matter where or when. So, what shall we do tomorrow?" Rachel asked.

"Well, I can see what work is about. I could start with something small then search for something that is a bit more appealing to me." Sam explained.

"Sounds good. Thank you for doing this. Even if you end up not wanting to live in New York, it means so much to me that you tried." Rachel said and kissed him.

"You're welcome. Though, I'll tell you what, I really like it here so far. Time will tell." Sam said. Rachel smiled.

"So...shall we gather more evidence to test my theory that sex is better in New York?" Rachel asked suggestively. Sam laughed as he rolled on top of Rachel, who giggled.

In that moment, Rachel was unbelievably happy. She was back in the place she loved with the man she loved, and there was a chance that she might just get everything she ever wanted.


End file.
